One of the first things I became aware of when I started working for myself is that losing the daily contact with work colleagues brought with it a risk of becoming isolated. There's obviously a big difference between going to an office each day where you are surrounded by work colleagues, many of whom become friends, and working for yourself, by yourself.

Going to work at my last "proper" job was something that I usually looked forward to because it was like going to a social club with good mates. We got the job done but we also enjoyed the friendly banter, the lunch-time drinks and the after-work parties. When my world changed I was suddenly very much on my own. I tried to encourage friendly banter with myself but it wasn't quite the same, I could often predict with uncanny accuracy what I would say next! I even scheduled meetings in my diary with a view to setting time aside to consider certain aspects of my new business but meetings with one person tend to be a bit one-sided - although I did get all the best biscuits.

It's obvious that maintaining some kind of human interaction, other than just with clients and suppliers, was going to be vital and I took a number of steps to ensure that happened. One of which was that I looked around for a local camera club to join. A camera club might not sound like the most dynamic organisation in the world but I'd say don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

A quick bit of Googling revealed that Winchester has a camera club, although being Winchester it's not called a camera club it's called a "Photographic Society". Clearly these were serious people.

Jumping forward three years and I've just finished my third full year at the club, sorry, society and I have to tell you that it's been a great success. I'm moving away next week (more of which later, watch this space!) so went for a farewell curry last night with some members of the club who have become good friends. Reflecting on those three years, I have a pile of certificates awarded for photographs which have done well at club competitions and exhibition judging, I have a newspaper cutting showing me meeting the mayor of Winchester, I have photos and fond memories of expeditions to Dungeness and London, I have a series of images that I would never have taken without the prompt of themed contests and I've had the pleasure of occasionally coming home with a trophy or two, which is a great ego boost.

Best of all though, I know that my photography has improved as a result of being exposed to so many different photographic styles on a regular basis. I try to feed my need for inspiration by visiting exhibitions, reading books and looking at web sites but there's often an abundant source of inspiration right on your doorstep and I'd urge you to take advantage of it.

I love my job but some days can be tiring. I've found no quicker way of recharging my enthusiasm than by sitting down in a lecture theatre for an inspiring talk by a visiting photographer followed by a chat with other photographers so full of enthusiasm that it's infectious. Many are the nights I've driven home from a club meeting filled with ideas that I would never have had sitting in front of the TV.

This photo was taken last weekend when a few club members went to a local fund-raising event and had the opportunity to take a ride in a Cherry Picker. Looking at Winchester from that perspective is probably not something I'd have had the opportunity to do without the club and is another example of how doors open when you make the effort to expand your horizons. Literally in this case.



If you're wondering how we managed to get a photograph from above the cherry picker then I'd like to point you in the direction of high-level aerial mast photographer extraordinaire, Barry Mann. Barry sets new standards when it comes to the old photographer's trick of looking at things from a different perspective.

So, here's my top tip for aspiring photographers, check out the clubs and organisations where you live. You might even find a "society" or two. I guarantee that you'll see work that will inspire and motivate you and I also guarantee that you'll be prompted to take photographs that you would never have taken otherwise. Who knows, you might even find people you can regularly go to for advice and feedback and that's so much more socially acceptable than speaking to yourself. I know!

Tags: wps

This is my Auntie Elsie. She’s quite extraordinary. She’s 94 years old, lives on her own, does all her own cooking and cleaning and maintains a very colourful and productive garden. Talking with her is always an uplifting experience and I caught up with her at a family get-together this weekend.  I know her next-door neighbour suffers from MS  and is wheelchair-bound and so I asked after her.
“Well dear, she likes to get out when she can but her husband pushes her around so quickly that she doesn’t have time to look in all the shops.”

“Oh dear”

“Yes, so I took her out last week and we had lots of time so she was able to see all the shops she wanted”

“Really? Excellent. In her wheelchair?”

“Yes dear”

“Is it an electric one?”

“No, but it’s very light”

Tags: family